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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I was told off by a work colleague

454 replies

selepele · 02/11/2018 20:28

i have been at my current job since June, the person concerned has been there longer than me. He is the accounts guy, not my manager and I do not need to answer to him at all.

He works downstairs and me upstairs but you can see my desk if you walk round the corner from downstairs as I'm at the top of the stairs.

I work as admin so people sometimes ask me to type up stuff for them ect, which is no issues. I was hired to do the project manager and ICT persons admin.

so this particular person I have never had issues with and had a good relationship with until today.

He ask me to type up some stuff and I ask when does he need it by which he says "its not urgent, like 2-3 days I don't need it today" he gave me this work around 3pm

so everyone has left the office and it is just me and him (we are a small team of around 8) he walks pass the stairs (at the bottom of the stairs) once and sees me on my phone, he then does it again to go loo then when he is back turns around and says to me...

"I will appreciate if you do what I told you to do and not play on your phone"
I said I am doing it which he said "no youre not" and I said you told me it wasn't urgent which he said "that's not the point you don't just sit there on your phone"

I was very shocked by his attitude, as stated he is NOT my manager or of any authority to me.

He didn't even come upstairs to see if I had done anything since giving it to me so I made a point to finish it all and put it on his desk before the end of the day at 5pm.

I then left and I did slam the door and ignore him when he said bye to me.

do you think I am wrong at all?

He asked me to type up some stuff for him, which was fine

OP posts:
Gwenhwyfar · 03/11/2018 00:02

"‘Not urgent’ doesn’t mean it’s fine to fanny around on your phone and leave it until the last minute imo."

He said he wanted it in 2-3 days and she will deliver in 2-3 days.
Maybe you're not used to slow jobs, but if she did it straight away, nothing would be gained. The guy doesn't need it straight away, she would then be twiddling her thumbs rather than moving on to something else.

Original poster
selepele · 03/11/2018 00:06

He is not a manager at all, his manager is my manager which is the project manager or he answers to the director. He is not a senior person at all. He does his own a admin or did before I got there, He was actually the admin for the previous finance/accountant then when she left he took her place.

I took the ICT/PA lady previous job when she was the administrator

OP posts:
BumsexAtTheBingo · 03/11/2018 00:08

And what if she ends up really busy over the next 2 days and is struggling to do it when she had a quiet period today? You get the work you have done - urgent or none urgent before you start pissing around on your phone. You can text friends on your lunch break.
Not urgent to me means if you have other stuff to do it needn’t be a priority not that it’s fine to sit there texting your friends instead of doing it. Totally unprofessional.

Original poster
selepele · 03/11/2018 00:08

He said 2-3 days but when he questioned me only had 4 pages to type up when he gave me around 20. It was about 4.30pm we finish at 5
It took me 10 minutes to finish those 4 pages

OP posts:
WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue · 03/11/2018 00:09

Either way, if you have a situation where you can be told off by anybody in the organisation, that's a really shit place to work in.

Gwenhwyfar A workplace where a manager sees unprofessional behaviour or rule breaking and walks on past without correcting it is a poor place to work and shows low standards and a lack of care.

As for OP, he has the keys to lockup but isn’t a manager? Yeah, ok, sure Hmm

Gwenhwyfar · 03/11/2018 00:11

"And what if she ends up really busy over the next 2 days and is struggling to do it when she had a quiet period today?"

She probably knows her work schedule better than you.
Also, in quiet jobs, a few moment of having to hurry to finish something actually make it more interesting.

Gwenhwyfar · 03/11/2018 00:13

"As for OP, he has the keys to lockup but isn’t a manager? Yeah, ok, sure hmm"

Oh dear. Having keys doesn't mean you're a manager. The cleaners have keys! In small offices everyone has a key. I've had keys and passwords to a few of my jobs and have never been a manager.
How do you think employees get into work in places too small to have security guards.

Gwenhwyfar · 03/11/2018 00:15

"A workplace where a manager sees unprofessional behaviour or rule breaking and walks on past without correcting it is a poor place to work and shows low standards and a lack of care."

A workplace where a manager (this guy is NOT a manager anyway) goes around like a busybody looking for things to criticise among other managers' staff is not a good place to be.
Obviously different if the 'rule breaking' is serious or is a security issue.

Original poster
selepele · 03/11/2018 00:16

people on here just make up their own scenarios and role with it!

I never had a phone for 4 days because it was broken, I only got it back this morning. No a lot of people do not walk pass me on my phone and nobody has said anything to me because I am not always on it.

he walked pass me twice in the space of 15 minutes when I was having a WhatsApp convo so obviously the person is replying I am picking up and putting down my phone. He happened to walk pass when they replied and I picked up my phone.

He told me I haven't started the work he gave me without looking at my computer or knowing he just made it up (like MNetters) but he was wrong because I had it done before the end of the day.

The fact he went from nice banter guy to complete rude dick in a matter of minutes is what shocked me. I have never had issues with him and got along good which is why I was taken back and taking it a bit personal (which I know I shouldn't)

But thinking about it he always makes jokes like "remember who pays you" not to me but others but he doesn't pay us, the director do he just sorts it out.

OP posts:
Original poster
selepele · 03/11/2018 00:18

He has keys to lock up because he leaves at 5pm and everyone else goes before
I use to work in a shop as a retail assistant and has keys it isn't that special

OP posts:
ScreamingValenta · 03/11/2018 00:22

I agree about keys. I was landed with keys in the past as an entry-level employee. No one wants the hassle of them, so they tend to work their way downwards in the hierarchy.

Original poster
selepele · 03/11/2018 00:25

I even got the keys and was asked to lock up when I worked as a temp at London wall. I wasn't even employed by them!

OP posts:
Gwenhwyfar · 03/11/2018 00:28

Screaming - in small places everyone has keys. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to get in and out, couldn't go to work if others are on holiday, etc.

Johnnyfinland · 03/11/2018 00:32

Haven’t RTFT but I’m surprised how many people work somewhere where checking your phone is the crime of the century. I AM a manager and I go on my phone and social media at work quite openly, we actually need to use both for work purposes but I also do chat to friends and post on twitter throughout the day for personal stuff. It’s not a problem, it’s never been a problem anywhere I’ve worked except one place which was needlessly bureaucratic. He was being incredibly rude and yes I would have a word with your manager about him

ScreamingValenta · 03/11/2018 00:33

Yes; I've never worked anywhere with fewer than c. 40 people, but I can imagine that would be essential in a smaller workplace, Gwyn.

ScreamingValenta · 03/11/2018 00:34

Gwen, not Gwyn - apologies.

Duck90 · 03/11/2018 00:39

If you don’t have enough work to do, be careful. This man may not be your manager, but he is probably in a more secure position than you. If you did the work in 10 mins, why had you not just done it.

Do you want people at work to think you are lazy?

You could find yourself let go.

I have no issue about staff using a personal phone at work. Many people do, but a quick text shouldn’t stop writing a letter.

Stormy76 · 03/11/2018 00:45

You are lucky in my place we can't use our phones at our desk in our lunch break

WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue · 03/11/2018 00:46

A workplace where a manager (this guy is NOT a manager anyway) goes around like a busybody looking for things to criticise among other managers' staff is not a good place to be.
Obviously different if the 'rule breaking' is serious or is a security issue.

Gwenhwyfar Nobody said anything about looking for things to criticise so you can stop with the fake drama. Managers are there to manage, so if they see employees being unprofessional or rule breaking then they have a duty to deal with it. That’s not being a busybody, that’s being a manager.

It sounds like you have a massive problem with authority.

Stormy76 · 03/11/2018 00:50

Oh and we are constantly whinged about by senior staff and one particular member of the team who is just a bitch. That's the reason we can't have phones out in our lunch breaks, been told not to sit at our desks to have lunch, we can eat at our desks but have to be working ......have seen my boss on her mobile.....personal one in working day, eating at her desk and not working.......yet most of us are working our arses off, doing overtime to help out when others have fallen behind....

9ofpentangles · 03/11/2018 00:55

His tone was condescending so I'm with you in that respect. I'd be cross, too, even if I were in the wrong.

Our workplace is strict about phone use so it would annoy me to see a colleague on their phone - especially if I am run off my feet. If it were someone junior I were training, I might say something but nicely.

FastWindow · 03/11/2018 01:02

You aren't painting yourself in a good light. He caught you on your phone twice. Good reason or not, it doesn't look good. If you have personal stuff to deal with in a junior role, don't do it at your desk. Perception is reality.

JeanPagett · 03/11/2018 01:14

I think being on your phone at work is pretty unprofessional. The guy is clearly more senior than you within the company and you were incredibly rude in slamming the door etc.

This whole incident makes you seem petty and very unprofessional. Apologising when he caught you on your phone and explaining you had a sick relative would probably have diffused the whole situation and left your colleague (who, having been there for 5 years, is probably trusted by the management) with a much better opinion of you.

FleurDeLips · 03/11/2018 01:28

Perhaps the best solution to something like this is to just apologise for slamming the door and see if you can both move past it before you involve your manager. I tend to put my phone down if someone approaches or walks past if it’s not work related even though it’s allowed, it can be a bit rude.

I would let this become a big thing if it’s a small workplace

FleurDeLips · 03/11/2018 01:29

*wouldnt!